Smile 2 (2024) Ending Explained: Who Dies, What Happens to Skye Riley, and the Fate of the Curse

The horror sequel Smile 2 (2024) takes viewers on an intense, mind-bending journey into the world of fame and supernatural terror. With Naomi Scott playing pop star Skye Riley, this follow-up to the 2022 hit Smile delves into Skye’s harrowing encounter with the curse that haunted the first movie. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the film’s mysterious and violent conclusion, addressing key questions about who dies, what happens to Skye, and the future of the curse. Beware, this explanation contains major spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the movie yet, turn back now!

Skye Riley’s Final Moments: A Descent into Madness

The final act of Smile 2 is a rollercoaster of terrifying events that blur the line between reality and hallucination. Skye Riley, haunted by the supernatural curse, is checked into a rehabilitation center where things quickly spiral out of control. After an intense confrontation with her mother, we witness Skye’s mother seemingly stab herself to death with a piece of broken glass. However, the scene takes a sinister turn as we see Skye holding the bloody shard herself, leaving us to question whether Skye was the one possessed by the curse, committing the murder under its influence.

This critical moment is one of many where the film leaves the audience questioning what is real and what is simply a nightmare brought on by the curse. The ambiguity surrounding Skye’s actions is one of the most fascinating elements of Smile 2. The movie intentionally leaves the audience in the dark, forcing them to grapple with the possibility that everything Skye experiences could be a hallucination—a byproduct of the curse’s malevolent power.

After fleeing the wellness center, Skye meets up with her friend Gemma, only to realize that Gemma is not really there. In a shocking twist, Skye receives a call from the real Gemma, revealing that the version of her in the car is a hallucination of the entity. The ensuing chaos leads to a violent car crash, but Skye somehow survives and continues on her journey to confront Morris, the man who earlier promised her a way to end the curse. But as events unfold, the lines between reality and delusion become even more blurred.

The Climax: Skye vs. The Monster

In one of the film’s most intense sequences, Skye reaches the warehouse where she plans to undergo a life-threatening procedure to temporarily stop her heart and kill the curse. Morris, who has been guiding her through this process, leaves to gather the necessary tools. Left alone, Skye is confronted by the curse, which has taken the form of her own doppelgänger. This monstrous version of Skye drugs her, sending her into a horrific hallucination that blurs the boundaries between life and death.

When Skye wakes up, she finds herself on stage for the first night of her world tour. The audience is filled with adoring fans, and to her shock, she spots her mother in the crowd. This moment raises a crucial question: was her mother’s earlier death a hallucination? Or has the curse manipulated Skye’s perception of reality to such a degree that nothing is certain anymore?

The climax reaches its horrifying conclusion when Skye encounters the monster, which reveals its true form. The entity opens its grotesque jaw, fully absorbing Skye into its being. As the scene plays out, the sound of the audience screaming mixes with violent noises, culminating in a gruesome image of Skye lying dead on the stage floor, her microphone embedded in her head. The curse has claimed its latest victim, leaving Skye’s lifeless body in front of thousands of witnesses. In a jaw-dropping twist, it is clear that the curse has assumed complete control of Skye, forcing her to end her life in the most brutal and public way possible.

Who Dies in Smile 2?

Death is a constant presence in Smile 2, with several key characters meeting tragic and violent ends. The curse, which demands that its victims kill themselves in front of a witness, spreads through these shocking deaths, ensuring its continuation. Here are the major deaths in the film:

• Joel (Kyle Gallner): The police detective from the first Smile movie is the first notable character to die in the sequel. In a brutal one-shot opening sequence, Joel is killed in a car accident, signifying that the curse has passed on from him to a new victim.
• Lewis (Lukas Gage): Lewis, a drug dealer and acquaintance of Skye, meets a grisly fate when the curse forces him to smash his own skull with a heavy weight. This horrifying scene not only shocks Skye but also serves as the moment when the curse is passed on to her.
• Elizabeth Riley (Rosemarie DeWitt): Skye’s mother appears to stab herself to death in a dramatic scene at the rehabilitation center. However, as the film progresses, we realize that it was likely Skye who killed her mother while under the curse’s influence. The movie leaves open the possibility that her mother’s death was a hallucination, as she later appears in the crowd at Skye’s final performance.
• Skye Riley (Naomi Scott): The film’s tragic heroine meets her end in the final moments of the movie. During the first concert of her world tour, the curse fully takes over Skye, forcing her to stab herself to death with her microphone in front of thousands of fans. This public and brutal suicide ensures that the curse will continue to spread.

The Fate of the Curse: A Never-Ending Cycle?

The ending of Smile 2 leaves the fate of the curse ambiguous but heavily suggests that it is far from over. Skye’s public suicide ensures that the curse is passed on to thousands of witnesses in the crowd, setting the stage for a potential sequel. The curse, which feeds on trauma and witnesses to its violence, has now infected an enormous number of people, creating a terrifying scenario where it could spread faster than ever before.

One of the key moments in the final act is when Skye arrives at the warehouse to meet Morris. Their plan to stop the curse by temporarily stopping Skye’s heart is ultimately foiled by the entity. Whether this scene is real or a hallucination is left up to the viewer’s interpretation, but one thing is clear: the curse is stronger than ever. The entity’s control over Skye is absolute, and by the time the movie ends, it has claimed her as its latest victim.

With the curse now running rampant among Skye’s fans, it is likely that a third movie could explore the broader consequences of the entity’s growing power. Will someone find a way to finally break the cycle, or is the curse destined to continue its reign of terror? Only time will tell.

Was It All a Hallucination?

One of the most intriguing aspects of Smile 2 is the way it plays with the idea of reality vs. hallucination. Throughout the movie, Skye is haunted by visions and nightmares, and the audience is never quite sure what is real and what is a product of the curse. The film’s final moments, where Skye performs on stage and is absorbed by the entity, raise even more questions about what actually happened. Was her mother’s death real? Did Skye truly meet Morris in the warehouse, or was it all a dream?

The movie intentionally leaves these questions unanswered, forcing viewers to grapple with the uncertainty. This approach mirrors the experiences of the characters themselves, who are often unsure of what is real and what is simply a terrifying illusion. The ambiguity adds to the overall sense of dread and confusion, making the film all the more chilling.

Will There Be a Smile 3?

With the curse now spreading to thousands of new victims, Smile 2 sets up the perfect conditions for a potential third installment. The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel, as the curse’s rapid spread suggests that things are only going to get worse. A third movie could explore the consequences of the curse infecting so many people at once, leading to an even broader and more dangerous outbreak.

Director Parker Finn has hinted that there is still plenty of story left to tell in the world of Smile. In a recent interview, he mentioned that there are many interesting directions the series could take, depending on how audiences respond to the sequel. If Smile 2 performs well, it seems likely that we’ll see a third movie that delves even deeper into the origins of the curse and its growing power.

For now, though, fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for the Smile franchise. One thing is certain: the curse is far from over, and Smile 3 could be the most terrifying chapter yet.